Presidential Baby Names

Is there any task more difficult than choosing a baby’s name? It’ll stick with them for a lifetime, so there’s a lot riding on the parents’ decision. You’ll want your child to aim high in life, so why not start with the name?

These baby names are unique enough to set your child away from the pack of Johns and Jameses, yet they’re dignified in that they have graced the birth certificates of past presidents.

Check out our 5 favorite presidentially-inspired baby names:

Madison

What a lovely name for a little girl (or boy, it’s pretty gender neutral)! This increasingly popular girl’s name comes from the surname of our fourth president, James Madison. When he took office in 1751, he was still living off the legacy of being considered the “Father of the Constitution,” so he was probably concerned with you know, America’s foundation. He had no idea that his last name would be the 8th most popular girl’s name in the year 2011, but we consider this an added bonus to his legacy.

Present-day fads might tell you that the name Harry was popularized by a certain English prince or by The Boy Who Lived, but we like to think that the name’s popularity originated from our 33rd president, Harry S. Truman. Whether you remember him for his role in the post WWII clean-up or simply for his dashing circular glasses, you’ve got to admit that the man’s legacy is worthy of passing his name down through the generations.

The name Carter has been steadily gaining in popularity over the past few years. We’re not saying that it all started with President Jimmy Carter, but the guy did win a Nobel Peace Prize, and what parent wouldn’t want their kid to aspire to Nobel-status? Sure, he wasn’t the most popular guy by the end of his term, but is this increasing trend maybe showing a new-found appreciation for his name at least.

William

Taft, McKinley, Harrison, Clinton… If you plan on naming your boy William, you’ve got plenty of presidential figures to choose from when you tell your friends about where you found your inspiration. The name spans time periods and political party lines, so chances are, there’s a William out there that you can find some attachment to. There’s just something so stately, classy, and (dare we say) presidential about the name.

This name makes both Hobbes and the American populace proud. President Calvin Coolidge was a quiet man, often called “Silent Cal,” but maybe that’s reason enough to grace a child with his name – inspiration to follow in the man’s great (and hushed) footsteps. Plus, his face is even featured on the 1926 minted Sesquicentennial of American Independence half dollar and although that’s a mouthful, what child wouldn’t want to see his namesake on a coin?

Comments

About April Sperry

April will be a senior at Harvard College this fall, where she reads and writes things on the daily as an English major. She likes avocados, dark chocolate, and 30-minute sitcoms. She also has a blog where she writes things at arathershortgirl.blogspot.com.